A Riddle of Roses

by Caryl Cude Mullin

"Meryl's mother was a great bard -- a storyteller and musician who sang of life and the world around her. Meryl, already an orphan, wants to follow in her mother's footsteps. Highly spirited and curious, she has broken a sacred rule and has been suspended from her studies. Undaunted, Meryl decides to achieve her goal another way -- she undertakes a quest in search of the mythical Avalon. Her great adventure leads her to find her own true voice through music and song. Set in a time when legends are part of everyday life, A Riddle of Roses is an intriguing fantasy springing from Celtic myth and tradition."

Genres: Fantasy

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Caryl Cude Mullin grew up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She currently lives in Montreal where she works as a teacher, a writer, and an actor.

Reviews

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I never have to read another "hruumph-nha" or an "indeed, indeed" it'll be too soon.

Okay. So usually I love books about Avalon and Faeries and Quests with adventures and random funny characters but holy did this book fail me.
Firstly, all the characters are annoying. There isn't a single character I liked. Meryl, our main character, is nothing more than a spoiled brat with no manners or common sense. The talking bush was nothing more than a cryptic old grump. The fairy and the fool were so ridiculous they weren't funny but aggravating.

Secondly, the Fae people were not that nice. That girl would have been cursed or turned into a tree in a matter of seconds.

Thirdly, passage to Avalon is hella harder.

Fourthly, why the hell was everyone she met so nice? In the time this book was set she should have run into highway men, brigands, and that first disastrous performance would not have ended with her getting a second chance.

I know this book was supposed to be fiction, but even in fiction you have to be able to believe in the story and I believed nothing in this book. Honestly I'm surprised I even finished it, and it's lucky to get two stars.

[L.D. Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my daughter and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Classic fantasy, but with a heroine instead of a hero (makes for a nice change).

[Jacqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

A whole lot of nothing. Hruumph-nah.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick, nice book, if a little predictable. The action was basically non-stop, so there weren't any lagging points. I found the main character really unlikable, though - she truly was "a stick-in-the-mud," as one of the sidekicks accurately put it. Other than that, fun, light stuff.

[Shanielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

That friends come in all shapes and sizes and that if you really want to be something you may become mad

[Gordon Bagshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is reminiscent of such classics as written by C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. A pure joy to read. Couldn't put it down.